As part of an attempt to introduce new regional audiences to long neglected genres of music including jazz the new Arts Council Northern Ireland-backed music touring scheme has announced details of the first bands to tour. The delayed announcement involves four touring programmes supported through the initiative and includes five tours to be produced by Belfast promoter Moving on Music featuring old time American roots group Furnace Mountain, jazz drummer David Lyttle and his sextet, traditional Irish music group Beoga, classical pianist Joanna McGregor, and a series of family participation concerts with Nico and Martin. The Neil Cowley trio are to tour promoted by Walled City Music as part of the scheme with dates in Derry (23 October), Belfast (25 October), Downpatrick (26 October), Enniskillen (28 October), Omagh (29 October), and Portstewart (30 October). Other tours involve a folk roots Open House/Smalltown America Music collaboration, and chamber music from the Quercus Ensemble.

Ciaran Scullion, head of music, at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said in a statement: “The Arts Council’s new five-year Strategy for Music shows a firm commitment to helping people in Northern Ireland access the best music, in any form, be it classical or jazz, traditional and folk or rock and pop, from world music to electronic and contemporary music. We firmly believe the new Northern Ireland Music Touring programme will help us achieve that. In addition, the programme will facilitate partnerships and collaborations among artists within the music sector. By offering them opportunities to work more closely with promoters and venues, it is hoped that together, they will form a better understanding of music audiences and how to grow them.”
_{The Neil Cowley trio, above}